Congressman Christopher H. Smith, District 4 | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Christopher H. Smith, District 4 | Official U.S. House headshot
At the Public Safety Center in Freehold, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Prosecutor Raymond Santiago and a host of experts in the fight against human trafficking convened for a panel discussion. The aim was to inform law enforcement officers and community advocates about one of the largest criminal enterprises globally.
"Forced labor generates $236 billion in illegal profits per year according to the International Labour Organization," Smith stated. "More than two-thirds—73 percent—of these illegal profits come from forced commercial sexual exploitation."
Smith expressed his honor and privilege to join Sheriff Shaun Golden, County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago, and five other leaders in combating human trafficking at the symposium.
The Monmouth County Human Trafficking Symposium, organized by Sheriff Golden, provided updates on Smith’s push for new federal legislation. It also highlighted law enforcement programs, local resources, and personal accounts from trafficking victims.
"Twenty four years ago, the US Congress approved and the President signed historic bipartisan legislation that I authored—the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)—a comprehensive whole-of-government initiative to combat sex and labor trafficking in the United States and around the world," said Smith. He has since authored four additional laws to combat human trafficking.
"On February 13th of this year, the House of Representatives passed another comprehensive bill that I wrote called the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act," Smith added. "Each and every day, I am working hard to get the Senate to pass this legislation, which is urgently needed to bolster our fight against trafficking by enhancing programs, strengthening laws, and adding accountability."
The panel also included guest speakers Julia Einbond, CEO of Covenant House NJ; Amanda Leese, Senior Vice President of Reentry and Navigator Services Volunteers of America Delaware Valley; Chief Christopher Winters of the Pine Hill Police Department; Andrea Nurko, Supervisory Special Agent at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark; and Hillary Evans, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at 3Strands Global Foundation.
"It will take each and every one of us to end the scourge of modern-day slavery," Smith concluded. "Human traffickers never take holiday—nor can we."
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